Refrigerator car



Feb. 11, 1941. R. B. WINSHIP REFPIGERATOR CAR Filed April 28, 1939 lam-d a Patented Feb. 11, 1941 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR CAR Ralph Winship, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, as- .signor, by mesne assignments, to Standard Railway Refrigerator Company, a corporation of Delaware Application April 28, 1939, Serial No. 270,575

'7 Claims.

The invention relates to refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities at a predetermined temperature. The essential features of such a car are an insulated structure and a rep frigerating means for use in warm weather or a heating means for use in cold weather.

The high speeds of modern freight trains induce a vigorous swaying action of the cars and where the refrigerant is a liquid a consequent surging of liquid within refrigerant containers. Said surging is more violent in containers positioned adjacent-the roofs of the cars due to the increased distance above the rails.

It is often desirable to'provide refrigerant containers with apertures, particularly in overhead bunker cars. This is necessary for ventilating purposes and it is also advantageous in that it allows more intimate contact between the refrigerant and the circulating air. The refrigerant containers in overhead bunker cars are usually relatively shallow so that the aforementioned apertures must of necessity be closely adjacent the level of the refrigerant within the container. When the refrigerant is a liquid, there is danger of it splashing through the apertures with consequent damage to the lading and loss of refrigerating efficiency.

It is an object of the invention to provide means to prevent escape of liquid from the container due to,swaying and further, to arrange said means to allow a substantially unrestricted circulation of air through the container. Another object is to utilize said means to increase flow of air through the container with a consequent increase of refrigerating efficiency. Another object is to provide means to ventilate the car.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description by referring to the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial transverse section of a refrigerator car embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the position assumed by a liquid refrigerant during swaying of the car.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 show modified constructions.

The refrigerant container 2 shown in Fig. l is preferably positioned below the insulated roof 3 and near one of the insulated walls 4. A hatch 5 is provided for loading refrigerant into the container 2, which hatch is commonly closed by an insulated plug to prevent the escape of the refrigerant and to retard entrance of warm air into the car. Air flows upwardly from the lading compartment through the duct 8, is cooled by contact with the refrigerant container 2 or the refrigerant therein, and flows to the lading compartment through the flue 9.

Apertures I5 are provided in the walls It of the container 2 so that air may intimately contact the refrigerant I! as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1. Closures or flaps 20, preferably of slightly larger area than the apertures I5 and alined therewith are secured to the walls l6 of the container 2. Theflaps may be made of leather, rubber, wood, light gage metal, or any relatively resilient substance. They are secured near the lower portions thereof to the walls l6 and are provided with relatively heavy weights 2| at the upper portion thereof. The weights 2| function to yieldingly space the flaps 20 from the walls l6 and apertures l5 to permit flow of air as shown by the arrows in Fig. l. Flaps may also be secured to the end wall M of the container.

Service movements of the car, which include lateral swaying or rocking, vertical jolting and sudden starting andstopping, cause the refrigerant, particularly if a liquid, to surge against the walls id of the container 2. During surging, the refrigerant may assume the position shown in Fig. 2. The flap 26 then closes tightly against the wall 27 due to the pressure of the refrigerant 25 thereon; momentarily later, the refrigerant may surge against the opposite Wall of the container 2, forcing the flap 28 against the wall 29 and permitting the flap 26 to become spaced from the wall 21. The refrigerant may thus surge from side to side within the container without escaping through the apertures l5 while said apertures remain open for an air circulation during a substantial part ofthe time.

When the refrigerant surges against a wall l6, some of the flaps 20 are forced against said wall, thereby expelling a quantity of air through the apertures. As the surging of the refrigerant alternately closes and opens the flaps, air flow through the container is increased by the pumplike action with a consequent increase of refrigeration efficiency.

When it is desirable to provide the lading compartment of the car with ventilation, the hatch cover and insulated plug are held open, free of the hatch 5 by any suitable means, thus permitting air to enter the refrigerant container 2 through the hatch 5 and thence flowing to the lading compartment through the apertures [5.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the flap is relatively rigid and is secured to the container wall I6 by the hinge 3B. The weight of the flap 35 or an additional weight 31 tends to space said flap from the wall [6, thereby permitting air flow through the aperture l5. Means should be provided to limit the downward swinging of the flap, such as the depending angularly disposed portion 38 of Fig. 4 or the rope or chain 39 of Fig. 5.

My co-pending application, Serial No. 216,732, filed June 30, 1938, discloses a refrigerant container having means to prevent a liquid refrigerant from splashing through an aperture in the wall thereof into the lading compartment of the car.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car, a refrigerant container having an aperture in a wall thereof, and means to prevent escape of a liquid refrigerant through said aperture due to service movements of the car, said means comprising a flap aligned with said aperture and resiliently secured to said container, said flap arranged so that a weight secured thereto yieldingly spaces said flap from said aperture to permit flowof air therethrough and positioned so that the surging of the liquid refrigerant toward said aperture causes said flap to close said aperture.

2. In a refrigerator car, a refrigerant container having an aperture in a wall thereof for movement of air therethrough, and means to prevent escape of a liquid refrigerant through said aperture due to service movements of the car, said means comprising a flap resiliently secured to said container and positioned so that the surging of the liquid refrigerant toward said aperture causes said flap to close said aperture.

3. In a refrigerator car, a refrigerant container having an aperture in a wall thereof for movement of air therethrough, and means to prevent escape of a liquid refrigerant through said aperture due to service movements of the car, said means comprising a flap hinged to said container, and means to limit the swinging of said flap, said flap being positioned so that the surging of the liquid refrigerant toward said aperture causes said flap to close said aperture.

4. In a refrigerator car having a refrigerant container below the roof, said container being provided with an aperture in a wall thereof for movement of air therethrough, and a movable closure for said aperture positioned so that the surging of a liquid refrigerant within said container causes said closure to close said aperture, thereby circulating air through said container due to the pumping action of said closure.

5. In a refrigerator car, a refrigerant container having an aperture in a wall thereof, and means to prevent escape of a liquid refrigerant through said aperture due to service movements of the car, said means comprising a flap aligned with said aperture and hinged to said container, said flap constructed and arranged to be normally urged away from said aperture and to be moved by the surging liquid to a position to close said aperture.

6. In a refrigerator car having a refrigerant container below the roof, said container being provided with an aperture in a Wall thereof for -movement of air therethrough, and a movable closure for said aperture constructed and arranged so that it is normally urged to leave said aperture open and movable by liquid within the container flowing theretoward to close said aperture.

7. In a refrigerator car, a refrigerant container having an aperture in a wall thereof, and a movable closure for said aperture constructed and arranged so that said aperture is normally left open for flow of air therethrough and is closed by surging of a liquid within said container toward said aperture.

. RALPH B. WINSHIP. 

